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Thursday, August 30, 2012

When I came home from work yesterday (August 28th), August GlossyBox USA was waiting for me in my room. I always get excited opening the package because I don't know what is expected inside. It's always a surprise which intrigues my curiosity! I wanted to post this so for the people who want the August GlossyBox, it's not too late. This is my third GlossyBox. My first one was their grand premier in April, and last months July. Feel free to check those out.

Now for August GlossyBox...

I have to say their August 2012 Glossy Mag is more interesting than last month. They have more pages, the pictures are more intriguing, and the articles are interesting.

I love their packaging! It's so feminine and the boxes are so worth it.

They wrap it really well with tissue paper, GlossyBox logo sticker, and ribbon.

Now for the products I received. I rearranged them so I can take a picture inside the box.

* Touch in Sol Feel like Honey Moon Skin Base ($20 for 1.13 oz): Apply this fantastic primer after your skincare routine and before your makeup. Its honey texture firms and revitalizes the skin and allows for a better makeup application.* Ellis Faas Ellis Lips ($35 for 0.095 oz): The lightweight and long-lasting lip products come in three fabulous textures; creamy lips for a matte finish, milky lips for a gloss finish and glazed lips for a touch of color. They are paraben-free, loaded with vitamin E and blend into the lips leaving them soft and conditioned.* Biolage ExquisiteOil Replenishing Treatment ($22 for 3.1 oz): This treatment is a versatile serum infused with a Moringa Oil Blend. This ultimate potion gives instant shine and weightless replenishment to all hair types.* Illamasqua Nail Varnish ($14 for 0.5 oz): Award-winning, extremely hardwearing and chip-resistant, there's an Illamasqua Nail Varnish for every shade of humanity. Apply two coats for extra intensity. Make a statement and talk with your hands!* Ole Henriksen Truth Serum ($48 for 1.0 oz): This high powered vitamin C complex helps smooth out lines and wrinkles, fights environmental aggressors and keeps your skin moisturized, nourished and protected. Apply mornings and evenings.

I have to say this is the best GlossyBox I received so far. I'm so excited to play around with these products which I will review thoroughly in the future posts. I also have to say I'm so glad to be part of GlossyBox and to see their improvements from the beginning. They are getting better and I definitely recommend them!

Here's their subscription.

Thank you GlossyBox!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Aveeno gave me some Clear Complexion products. Their website says it really well!

"Specially formulated with moisture-rich Soy and salicylic acid, a dermatologist-recommended blemish-fighting ingredient, this line of facial care products works to clear up and prevent blemishes while evening out skin tone and texture, revealing a beautiful, clear complexion."

To be honest, I was not too sure what to do with them since I do not have acne not even adult acne. If I do get acne, it's when its that time of the month. I get the huge, red zit that's noticeable. For that reason and knowing I have dry skin, I avoid acne products. The products tend to dry out my skin, and I feel the tightness in my face that I dislike. I thought hard and decided to just try the products out.

Where to purchase: drugstores, mass merchandisers, and online at aveeno.com

Price: around $7 for 28 pads

Made in USA

Description from the back: Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads are designed to help clear up and prevent breakouts to leave your skin clear, smooth, and even-looking. These dual-textured cleansing pads are pre-moistened with a blemish fighting ingredient and moisture-rich soy to improve skin's clarity and help even out tone and texture, but not over-dry your skin. The pad is textured on one side to gently exfoliate and smooth on the other side to life away dirt, oil and makeup that can clog pores and cause breakouts. Gentle enough for everyday use and even for sensitive skin.

Ingredients:

Active ingredient

Inactive ingredient

Thoughts: Like I said since I do not have acne and for that reason, I was not too sure if I should try this product or not. Being a beauty blogger, as well as, being intrigued by products I had to try it out. Before I go more into the product, let me describe the package and the pads.

This is how it looks inside the package. I removed the steal before taking this picture. The steal is there to keep the pads moisturized. If there was no steal, I can see the pads get dry from circulation leaving the container. Of course, that will not happen in a day or a month.

One thing I found odd is that there's so much space around the pads. It did not make sense in the beginning, but now I understand after using the product. It makes it easier to grab the pads as you go down.

Here's how the pads look like. They're smooth on one side, and textured on the other. I hope you can see the tiny bumps in the picture. The textured side is to help exfoliate the skin, and the smooth side is to remove dirt and makeup.

I'm glad they put the expiration date on the bottom of the container. I'm not a big fan of products with expiration date only on the box. I tend to throw the box away as soon as I start using a product, and I do not have a reference to follow.

Now for the product, I actually like their smell. It doesn't smell like chemicals especially knowing it has salicylic acid. It's a floral scent, but on the sweet side. I also like that it's not a strong scent. I only smell it initially when exfoliating my face.

It's recommended for everyday, but I actually only use it twice a week. I normally exfoliate my face twice a week. I try not to exfoliate that often since it's not good for my dry skin. For that reason, I decided to use this twice a week as well. I noticed they remove dirt and makeup really well. I don't think you need to only use the smooth side. The textured side removes makeup and dirt as well or at least from my experience I could see a lot of stuff on the textured side.

When it comes to exfoliating, I can feel the bumps on my skin while cleaning. It feels cleaner and smoother afterwards. It'll be great for people who have acne because of the salicylic acid. To be honest, I do feel some tightness after using this product but not to the point of dryness that a moisturizer will not fix. I did happen to notice I did not get any acne this time of the month. It could just be a coincidence, but I honestly think this product helped. Something to think about...

Overall, I actually do recommend this product if you have acne. If you do not have acne, you can still use this product but I do not recommend in daily basis. Once or twice a week is good.

Would repurchase: No, since I do not have acne.Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

Speaking of Aveeno, they're always so considerate!

They sent me cookies and a birthday card last year. They did it again this year! :) I think it's to celebrate my blog. To be honest, I don't even remember when I started blogging but they do. Isn't that so sweet!?!?

Here's the cookies from Elenis.

The birthday card I received. They had all the PR's sign the birthday card. I love how personalized it was! I feel special. :)

Thank you Aveeno!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

I had an opportunity to choose any product up to $15 from Sammydress. If you have not heard of Sammydress, it's an online website that sells Asian products from clothes to accessories.

"We are an online fashion clothing store, a sub-company of Yigou International group, which is located in Shenzhen, China, adjacent to Hong Kong. Sammydress is a leading China online wholesale supplier of Wedding Dresses, Special Casual Dresses, Women's Clothing, Cosplay Costumes, Intimate Lingerie, Men and Women's Shoes, Wigs, Fashion Jewelry, Bags and Accessories, Home & Living, Men's clothing, Children's Toys, Shoes, and many more great items. We aim to provide a wide range of high quality, trendy fashion clothing at factory direct prices along with a professional service to customers all over the world."

They said it better than I could have! I've seen so many people post pictures of their hauls from places similar to Sammydress. Given this opportunity, I could not refuse. I went through pages and pages of handbags and fell in love with one bag.

The only thing that was holding me back was that the bag was pink. My typical color bags are black, white, brown (all types of neutral), and gray. I asked myself what am I going to do with a pink bag!?!? Am I even going to use it? I was clueless since I love the style and the pink drew me in. On the other hand, my head was saying don't get pink get white. I went with my eyes.

Description on the site: 45x38X14 cmThoughts: I picked this up during my lunch time, and opened the package as soon as I got in my car. I just couldn't wait to see the bag in person! My first initial reaction was I was disappointed with the color! It wasn't light pink/peachy color as the picture, it was medium pink. At that moment, I hated myself to go with my eyes! I should have gone with my head and gotten white *sigh*.

Other than the color, I was okay with the bag. It's not Coach, Juicy Couture, and so on. For a $12 bag, it wasn't bad at all.

The cross-stitching on the front was nice. It looked like a quilted bag, and the chain made a great accessory to the bag. I did notice in the picture the chain looked more gold, whereas, in person it's a mixture of pink and gold.

Here's the back of the bag. It's plain pink with a pocket.

Here's a closer look of the pocket on the back of the bag. I love the gold heart chain. It's pretty!

The bottom of the bag.

Here's how the top looks like when you close the zipper. You can wear the bag in two ways. You can use the handle like the model shown above or

you can use the strap the bag comes with. That's one of the reason I was drawn to this bag for the versatility. By the way, this is the third color the bag comes in (camel).

Here's how the bag looks like when you open the zipper. It has a pocket with a zipper in the inside of the back part.

The cloth of the inside is metallic gold. Gold goes well with the matching chain. It also has a small pocket in the inside of the front part of the bag.

Overall, it's actually a cute style bag. It's very versatile, as well as, goes well casual to dressy. Just don't expect to put anything heavy or else the bag won't last long. I could see myself with this bag if it was only white, but that's my fault not anyone else. :P

Pros:
* Versatile; can use handle or strap.
* Comes in three colors; camel, pink, and white.
* Accessory adds a touch of cuteness; chain.
* Can be casual or classy.

Cons:
* Color is not like the picture from the website.
* Fabric is thin.
* Cannot carry heavy things.

Would repurchase: Not in this style, because I only like one color in one style. I'm not one of those people who like one particular style and needs all the colors. I just need one. Even though I might not purchase this style, I am curious about the other products on their website.Rating: 3/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post are given to me to review, and pictures are taken from sammydress. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Aveeno has been a big part of my life since I could remember! I feel very fortunate/lucky to receive Aveeno products before their launch. For this post, I will review their new Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes.

Sensitive skin can be unbalanced, leading to irritation and redness. Help rebalance your skin by cleansing with Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes. These gentle, soft wipes remove dirt, oil, and even makeup. With Active Naturals Calming Feverfew, an ingredient related to Chamomile, these wipes leave your sensitive skin feeling soothed and balanced to help reveal your natural beauty.Ingredients:

Thoughts: I was excited that Aveeno came out with makeup wipes. They're becoming more versatile in the beauty industry! :) Here's how the packaging looks like...

This is taken in natural light without sun shining on the product.

When you open the lid.

I love that the wipes fit perfectly in the hole. I've had experiences in the past the holes were bigger than the thickness of the wipes. The wipes would fall back inside the package. :/

The cloth is smooth on both size. There's no bumps or a grainy texture. It's also cloth-like. I've had wipes in the past that was more paper-like and it tore while removing my makeup. I did not have to worry about these wipes. :) The dimension of the wipes are 7.4 inch x 7.2 inch (19 x 18.5 cm).

Overall, these wipes are really good! They're sturdy, moist, and removes really well even mascara. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the smell. It suppose to smell like chamomile, but I think it smells more like a rose to me. I guess it doesn't matter. They're both in the flower family. If you like flower, this is perfect for you! :)

Would repurchase: I would if it comes in a fruity smell.Rating: 4/5 Tobey's Paws

I have exciting news to share with you! Aveeno has recently launched the Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo.

In honor of this launch, Aveeno is having a Summer Hair Renewal Sweepstakes. One winner will win a spa weekend trip for two to NYC, while 1,500 will win a full-size Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo.

Here are the details of the sweepstakes:
* Begins 12:01 a.m. EST on August 17, 2012 and ends 11:59 p.m. EST on September 28, 2012.
* US residents only (not including AK, HI, and Puerto Rico).
* 21 years or older to enter.
* You can enter once per day.
* You can enter the sweepstakes at summerrenewal.com.

You have 48 hours to contact me with your name and address. E-mail me at aly_4realz (at) hotmail (dot) com. If you don't contact me within 48 hours, I will draw a new winner.

Thank you Aveeno for a wonderful giveaway!!! :)

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post are given to me or pictures taken from Aveeno website. I am not affiliated with any company nor getting paid to advertise any products. This post is written with my honest opinion.